CHAPTER 5

SHINRA MANSION

Vincent Valentine had arrived in the town of Nibelheim, the place where Cloud and Tifa were born, just after sunrise. Just outside of town he jumped off the Chocobo he'd borrowed from the Gold Saucer and quickly made his way through the town before anyone noticed him or cared to.

As always the Shinra mansion was unlocked so he let himself in. Once inside he headed to the basement. He walked down the stairs and through the small musty hallway. He passed the room he'd been locked in for thirty years without even a glance in that direction.

He stopped when he entered the research library. He pushed away the memories he had of that room and just let himself think. They have got to be around here somewhere, he told himself survaying the rows and rows of books on the shelves built into the walls. I'll just have to go through everything until I find it.

He slowly entered the book filled room.

"So you think Vincent stole that Chocobo so he could go to Nibelheim?" Nanaki asked.

Cloud could only shrug and shake his head. "That's my guess," he replied.

The group was gathered in the Highwind's Conference Room. Everyone was seated at the table except Nanaki since he was an animal. The red fire wolf was sitting on the floor.

"But why would Vincent go to Nibelheim?" Tifa asked.

Cloud looked across the room at her. "I don't know," he told her. "But maybe it has something to do with how he was acting yesterday."

"You mean when he blew up at you for asking a simple question?" Barret wanted to know.

"Maybe."

The big black man smashed the table with his fist. "And now he's running away!"

"Oh gawd! Don't tell me he went to Nibelheim to commit suicide," Yuffie exclaimed. "If we are going there to stop a psycho from pulling his own plug I'm not going to be any part of it!"

"I doubt he's going to commit suicide," Cloud cut her off. "Maybe..."

Cid came into the Conference Room. "We'll be landing soon," he reported. "I just saw the stolen Chocobo. Looks like your guess was right, Cloud."

"I guess we'll just have to ask Vincent when we see him," Cloud said refering to Yuffie's question as he got out of his seat. "After all; Vincent can only answer for Vincent..."

Vincent walked slowly through the room, taking in all the shadows and imaginary cellar goblins. He closed his eyes and stood still for a moment, breathing in the musty basement smell of mold, mildew, and decaying books.

The place brought back so many memories. It has to be here, he concluded, his eyes still shut. I must find it.

The gunman opened his eyes and began to search every bookshelf and drawer for those files. They have to be here. I will not leave until I find them.

He grabbed a book, opened it, and scanned the pages. Information on the Jenova project but nothing he was looking for. I don't need this! Why can't I find anything?

He threw the book aside and pulled another off the shelf. Still he found nothing. He threw that one away too and opened another.

And that's how it was for the next hour.

When he was finished with all the books he still hadn't found anything. "I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, grabbing the side of the desk in the back of the room and panting heavily. "I was so sure they were here! They have to be here!"

He angrily grabbed one of the books he'd been paging through and threw it across the room. "They should have been here!"

When they reached the town Cloud and Tifa were the first ones to get off the Higwind. As the others disembarked Cloud said to them. "Me and Tifa will go to the mansion. You guys can wait for us at the hotel."

"Why can't we go with you guys?" Yuffie asked.

"I would be best if only two people go."

"But, what if you-"

Cid put a hand over the ninja's mouth. "Okay," the pilot said. "We'll wait right here for you."

The two best friends headed in the direction of the mansion.

When they came inside the big house Cloud left the front door open and then he and Tifa headed toward the stairs. Just as they ascended the pair was startled by a loud bang behind them. The door had slammed shut. They looked at each other a moment not saying anything. Ghosts?

"C-Cloud..." Tifa stammered.

Cloud looked back down the stairs. Someone stood below them.

"Yuffie!" he exclaimed, when he realized who it was. "What are you doing here? We told you to wait."

"I don't care," she said walking up to them. "I don't want to wait with a petting zoo and two smelly cussing old men. I'm coming too and don't you dare try to stop me." Her face was challenging. She strode up the stairs and passed by her friends as she went. "Let's go."

Tifa and Cloud looked at each other then shook their heads. Once Yuffie made up her mind about something, no one could change it. They didn't say a thing they just followed her up the stairs.

It took a few minutes to get to the top of the stairs, go to the one bedroom on the right, find the secret passage and head down the stairs to the basement library/laberatory. When the three friends arrived they stopped in the doorway and stared. They hadn't been expecting what they saw.

Vincent Valentine, one of the calmest people they knew, was throwing things all over the place. Books lay everywhere, the table was kicked over with two legs broken off, and two of the three large tanks were broken in many places.

"What's he doing?" Tifa asked.

"He's going to hurt himself that's what," Cloud said. "Come on, we have to stop him!"

The blond swordsman ran into the room and grabbed Vincent. He swung his arms up under his friend's and held him still.

"Let me go!" the gunman shouted, trying to break free.

"No way! Not until you calm down and tell us what your problem is!" Cloud grunted at the strain.

"You wouldn't understand!" Vincent roared. "This has nothing to do with you! It's none of your business!"

The man tried to break free again.

Yuffie jumped back. "Do something, Cloud!" she shouted. "He looks like he wants to turn into one of those crazy monsters!"

"I can't! I'm holding him!" the ex-SOLDIER shouted.

"Here, let me," Tifa said stepping in front of Vincent. She raised her fist. "Forgive me!" she said the instant before she slammed him hard in the face.

Vincent groaned then fell against Cloud as he lost conciousness.

"Good hit," Yuffie said. "You've successfully made his brain rattle."

"I didn't hit him that hard!" Tifa protested.

"Let's just get him out of here," Cloud cut in. "We'll put him in the inn and have someone keep an eye on him so he doesn't come back here."

"Good idea," Tifa agreed.

Yuffie raised her hand. "I'll do it!" she voluntered.

"All right," he said. The swordsman scanned the room. "We'll have to clean this mess up after we get him out of here."

The darkness that filled Vincent's mind was almost too much to bare. It held no sound, no sight, no smells. It only held a depression and a lonely feeling.

He was rushing through it, screaming, shouting, crying. He was trying to see, to hear, to find the answers and the light. But he could not.

He had to find it. He had to get out. He had to find the light.

An image appeared. A blurred image of someone. It was talking to him. "Just calm down. No one is going to hurt you. You're okay. The light is here. We are here. I-we- won't leave you alone."

He calmed down slightly.

The voice again. "But, what are you talking about? What answers are you searching for?"

He didn't reply.

"Well whatever. If you don't want to tell me you don't have to."

He sighed and relaxed. The voice faded away...

Awhile later Vincent woke up. He opened his eyes slowly and let them focus. It didn't take very long for his vision to become clear enough for him to see a wooden ceiling. Where am I? He sat up and looked around. He wasn't in the Shinra mansion anymore and his face hurt. What happened?

"So, the prince has finally awakened," a voice said.

The gunman looked in the direction the voice had come from. He spotted Yuffie sitting at the table by the big front windows. She held a cup of tea in her hands and she was staring at him.

"Where am I?" he asked. "And how did I get here?"

"You're in the Nibelheim inn and Cloud, Tifa and I brought you here," she replied, sipping her tea.

"How could you?" he demanded.

She blinked. "How could we what?" she sounded surprised at such a question. "We had to! You were tearing that place apart! Besides we couldn't have you tranceforming into one of your psycho alter-egos and going on a rampage!"

He was silent a monent. Then he asked. "Where is everyone?"

"In the mansion," she replied, sipping her tea again. "Cleaning up the mess you made." she stopped to think a moment, as if remembering how the room has looked a few hours ago. "By the looks of it, it will probably take them a few more hours."

He looked away. "It was that bad, huh?"

"You got that right, Vinnie." Yuffie put down her tea. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends," he said guardedly. "What is it?"

"You were talking about something in your sleep. More like screaming it." she shrugged. "Anyway. You were saying something like: 'How will I find what I'm looking for? I must find the answers'. What were you talking about? Did it have something to do with the way you were acting in the Shinra mansion?"

He refused to answer.

Yuffie began to tap the wooden table top with her fingertip. She got up and walked to the door, closing and locking it. She put the key in her pocket and walked up to his bed, she sat on the one across from his and stared at him. Her brown eyes bore into him, making him nervous. Finally, after a minute, he looked at her.

When she saw she had his attention she started. "Let's talk this out," she said. "Cloud wanted me to find out what your problem was. I'm not letting you out of here until you tell me."

"I can't, won't, tell you."

She cocked her head. "Why not?"

"It's none of your concern," he snapped. "I know about your big mouth. If I told you not to tell anyone and you agreed you'd wait for the right moment and then blab it to them anyway."

"Now is that anyway to talk about an empiror's daughter?" the ninja asked. She put a hand on his arm. "Please tell me. I'm-we are all worried about you. Here, I'll make you a deal. You let me do something and I won't tell them what you tell me."

"What's the 'something'?"

"I haven't figured it out yet but I'll think of something."

He pointed at the Alexander Summon Materia she held on her Diamond Bangle. "You'll give that back."

"Not enough. Let me think of the rest."

He looked into her brown eyes a moment before he even began. He saw she was sincere. He then knew he could trust her. She wouldn't tell.

I'm taking a big risk but what can I do...?

He took a deep breath and began. "Okay, here I go. While we were at the Gold Saucer I overheard Rude, Reno, and Elena of the Turks talking about some files they had found..." He told her everything. From the conversation, to making up his mind to find those files and coming to the mansion. He noticed she listened carefully, her chin rested on her right palm, and didn't interrupt once, which was something she usually did.

"So?" he said, when he was done. "Since I didn't find anything here I'll have to go to Midgar."

She didn't reply.

He looked right at her. She was just staring.

"Yuffie?" he asked.

She made a snoring sound.

"Cut that out!" he said, aggitated.

"I'm sorry, Vinnie," she said. "But your story is a bit boring."

"Well, you're the one who wanted me to tell you!" he pointed out.

"Good point," she conceeded. "Now let me ask you something. Why do you want those files so badly?"

"Because if I read them I might be able to find out what Hojo actually did to me. If I find out I might be able to find a way to reverse it."

"But doing so will bring back all your bad memories," she protested.

"I've never forgotten them anyway," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh."

He stood. "I'm not trying to re-open old wounds or anything," he went on. "I'm just finding somethings out. I feel as if I need to know those things."

Yuffie sniffed but didn't reply.

He headed for the door. The ninja watched him try to open it. A huge grin spread across her face.

He turned to her. "Where's the key?"

She held it up, the key swung from her index finger. "Here it is," she said. "But I'm not lettin' ya outta here."

"Why not?"

She didn't give him a straight answer. "Here's what we'll do," she said, standing up and swinging the key around her finger. "You let me come with you to Midgar and I'll let you out."

"Why do you want to go to Midgar?"

She gave him a look that seemed to say. Isn't it obvious? "Why else?" she asked, shrugging.

He was quick to discourage her. "Yuffie, I doubt you'll find any Materia you don't already have."

She glared at him. "It's still Materia."

Vincent said nothing. He had a feeling that no matter what he said she would not changed her mind. "It's dangerous," he said as a last resort.

"I like danger."

He sighed. "All right," he said, giving in. "You can come."

Yuffie walked up to the door, a big grin on her face. The key swung from her finger. "All righty," she said.

She stuck the key in the lock and unlocked the door. The lock clicked and the door swung open.

"Now," she said, looking at him. "Shall we be off?"

"Yes..."

"Good!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door and down the stairs. "Materia here we come!"

"Yuffie!"

When they were outside the inn Vincent grabbed the ninja's arm to stop her. "Wait," he said.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"How do you plan on getting us out of town?"

"I dunno," she said shrugging. "You're the one who wants to go to Midgar. You think of something."

"I was planning on going to Rocket Town from here (If I didn't find those files here) and asking Shera if I could borrow the Tiny Bronco."

"You actually think that plane got fixed?"

He nodded. "I do."

"Okay."

"The only way to get to Rocket Town is to go over the Nibel mountain range," he said, looking in the direction of the mountains. "So that is the way we will go. And if what you told me is true, that their cleaning will take a more few hours, we can go that way without being spotted."

Yufie was nodding. "Good plan," she agreed. "Let's go."

Vincent ran by the mansion, being careful to keep his head down in case someone looked out. Yuffie knew that run. She'd seen him do it plenty of times and always laughed at it, saying he looked like he was avoiding gun fire.

Once he passed the house he slowed to a walk but just kept on going.

"Hey!" Yuffie shouted running after him, her arms flailing. "Don't you dare! WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEE!"

Author's note: There were a few parts in this chapter I found extreamly complicated to do. Partly because I didn't know where to put certain parts and partly because I didn't know what to put. If you got confused at all by this I am very sorry I tried my best. I promise I'll try to do better. Please don't get mad at me.